


esse quam videri

by makiyakinabe



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Gen, it was supposed to be part of a larger work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 03:23:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8385298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makiyakinabe/pseuds/makiyakinabe
Summary: Minerva's first and second meeting with the boy known as Haruka Nanase.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paracyane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paracyane/gifts).



Minerva's first impression of Haruka Nanase was:  _What a strange, dear child!_

The first-year-to-be had been silent from start to finish, listening stoically to the brief sketch Minerva made of the Wizarding World and the answers she gave to his grandmother's questions, and when she demonstrated that magic was real (a spoken _Accio_ to summon a blue Muggle writing tool from the coffee table to her hand) the surprise in his eyes had disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. She had risen from her seat and was about to say her goodbyes, wondering if she'd imagined Nanase's reaction due to wishful thinking after all, when he walked over to her, a conflicted look in his eyes.

Minerva gave him a warm smile. "Yes? What is it, Mr. Nanase?"

"Is—Is there a spell I can use to talk to water, Professor?"

The boy's eyes were so hopeful that Minerva's face couldn't help but soften, despite the strangeness of the question. "No, Mr. Nanase. Unfortunately, there isn't. But merpeople exist—in fact, there is a colony residing right at Hogwarts, within the Great Lake—and they know the element better than anyone. If you learn Mermish, you may be able to find out more. It is a difficult language to learn—all nonhuman languages are—but if I remember correctly, there are books on the subject in the Library that you may peruse..."

* * *

Minerva's second impression of Haruka Nanase was: _Merlin help the Head of whichever House this boy Sorts into._

No sooner had Minerva opened her mouth to welcome the first years to Hogwarts than her eyes fell on Nanase, who looked—to put it mildly—like a drowned rat. She lifted an eyebrow. A flick of her wand and a nonverbal Drying Charm soon set the boy to rights and, folding her arms, she set about waiting for an explanation.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall!" blurted out one of the boys standing by Nanase, who, strangely enough, looked far from relieved to find himself suddenly in dry robes. _Tachibana_ , her mind supplied. "Haru appreciates it, really."

There was a scoff.

"As if! He said that he wanted to stay in the Great Lake forever,  _that he was in love_. He's barking, ma'am. Dangerous. Nearly sent us —"

Minerva cleared her throat. Best to stop interrupt before the insults started flying: stop the train in its tracks, so to speak. "That's enough, Mr. Zabini. Mr. Tachibana. Mr. Nanase can speak for himself, I'm sure," she added, with a significant look at the said boy.

Nanase, after a series of pokes and prods in the arm from Tachibana, finally said, "I only wanted to talk to the merpeople, Professor."

Staring into his eyes, so impassive for a child his age, Minerva could tell she had her work cut out for her.

* * *

At eleven years of age Nanase was unassuming and quiet, if a bit strange, what with his fondness of merpeople and water.

Never in Minerva's wildest dreams could she have imagined that one day, this boy would change the tide of history.


End file.
